Skyllian VIII
Skyllian VIII, often dubbed as 'little Catachan', is a jungle death-world, 8th planet and the only habitable world that orbits the red giant star known as Skyllian, located 17 light-years to the galactic north-east from Europa and is located, unlike Europa or other worlds, inside the Garon Nebula. This planet is a homeworld of Homo-Sapiens-Bovinus, a strain of abhumans known as the Beastmen, who were, after some initial disputes integrated into the human society and even into the armed forces. Skyllian VIII serves mostly as a bastion in the remote space around, but also as a training grounds for the Guard forces and as a mining and agricultural colony. The planet is rich in rare minerals, unrefined promethium, and endemic fruit and vegetables. It was colonized under the initiative of the Europan Planetary Federation, after the secession from the Imperium of Man. History 571.M41 to 599.M41 Skyllian VIII was colonized relatively recently, mostly as a mean of expanding the borders but as well as securing new resources. The planet was discovered centuries before, as patrol fleets dared to venture further from their home. During the first decades, the planet was intensively scanned by various augurs and scanners in order to get at much information as possible. At the end of the century, several small outposts were built, but the colonists weren't prepared for what they were about to face. 600.M41 to 666.M41 With the first outposts and bases built, the colonists had to face nearly constant danger in the form of the extremely hostile wildlife, as well as frequent raids of native inhabitants, the Beastmen. Security had to be strengthened and encampments fortified and defended non-stop and even then there were significant losses in manpower and building costs skyrocketing, yet the colonization effort went on, although extreme precautions had to be taken, such as bombing the jungles with incendiary bombs or calling precision-strikes from orbit. Ultimately, negotiation efforts were made and one of the native tribes, namely the Pale River Tribe, agreed to help the colonists. With their knowledge of the terrain, fortifications were built more effectively and Europans now held a solid foothold on Skyllian. 667.M41 to 681.M41 The unholy alliance between the native tribe and the Europan colonists resulted in further turmoil where other tribes allied with each other and decided to attack the colonists as well as the allied tribe. Several outposts, mostly those ill-prepared or with incomplete defenses were overrun by the marauding hordes with their defenders fighting a valiant last stand before they were all killed and the compound destroyed. Europans tried to retaliate, but with the hostile environment, every battle was an 'uphill battle', with so many disadvantages that even technological superiority wasn't able to compensate and with increasing casualties and insufficient results, all operations were changed to defense and fortification only. The war escalated with the battle of Caladon Bay Fortress, where the last remnants of the Pale River tribe sought refuge before the tens of thousand head-strong marauding hordes. The battle itself was a one-sided massacre, as the fortress walls were manned with hundreds of guardsmen and dozens of heavy weapon emplacements, against which the beastmen stood no chance. Hundreds died within the first few minutes, torn apart by the explosive Bolter shells or burned by the Lasgun shots and soon the horde retreated back. Europans then launched an immediate counter-attack, killing or capturing hundreds more, ultimately driving and dispersing them deep into the jungles. 682.M41 to 861.M41 The following decades were relatively calm, at least in regard to raiding beastmen. The Pale River Tribe grew in strength and soon occupied their previous territories and with the help of the Europan army, they were able to push even further, usually as far as was some form of a natural obstacles, such as a large river, deep ravine or a mountain ridge, that became a natural border. Still, their territory nearly tripled in size. Some beastmen didn't want to return fo the jungle life and remained living alongside humans, which later resulted in the nearly full integration of the beastmen into the human society and also into creation of beastmen-only Guard units. 862.M41 to the Present day Since then, life was more or less the same, although noticeably easier. The allied beastmen tribe does not have to defend themselves from other tribes so often and if, usually only at the frontier settlements that are well fortified. Cities were slowly expanding, new farms, ore mines or promethium pumps were constructed as well as new fortressed along some basic inter-city infrastructure built, mainly in the form of elevated highways and maglev railways, to provide better means of transportation without relying on air transport, as the danger the extremely hostile wildlife possess remains the same. The human and allied tribe controlled territory combined spans only over 5.2% of the planet's entire surface. The rest is nothing but oceans or deadly wilderness. Landscape & Nature *Generally, Skyllian VIII is covered in very dense jungles and rugged terrain, with both steep mountains and cliffs or deep valleys and ravines, usually caused by erosion. Rainy seasons come irregularly and the length varies greatly too, as it could last for days or even months of nearly constant rainfall. Vast swamps and massive floodings are quite common. *Dubbed 'green hell', the jungle is often so dense that without heavy tree-clearing machinery, all other means apart from walking on foot are impossible. Local plants are not helpful either, as the majority of them are poisonous in some way, or has at least thorns. *Speaking of local wildlife, it's exactly it what makes this world a true death-world. The number of prey animal species is quite low, as well as their numbers and so smaller predators are usually hunted by the larger ones, and the largest ones chased down by packs of the smaller ones, creating an environment where you either hunt or are being hunted. *The largest, and most dangerous land-based predator is known as Great Pelorosaur, a massive, six-legged reptile with scales and hide so though that deployment of anti-tank weapons, use of traps or attacking weak spots (usually areas behind its thick head carapace) are necessary to bring this creature down. Despite its size, it's surprisingly fast and agile and strong enough to break through trees and even seriously damage a tank by toppling it over. The other one is known as Magnadon, a flying reptile creature roughly as big as a Valkyrie Carrier and very territorial too. They are not afraid to attack an airplane if they feel threatened by it. They usually hunt other flying creatures or swoop down on unsuspecting prey who stay for too long outside the dense jungle. *Most common species are relatively small, about 1,2m to 1,6m tall, very fast and nimble reptiles called Valosaurs. They live and hunt in packs and they are known as cannibals, who have no issues with hunting down and feeding on members of their own species from a different pack. They rarely attack humans, unless they are starving or are threatened. They are relatively easy to gun down with basic firearms, but their speed, agility, and ability to hide in the undergrowth combined with their sharp teeth and claws make them very dangerous to face in the jungle. Population, Society & Culture *Life on Skyllian VIII is possible only behind the armored walls and electric fences that divide the deadly jungle from relatively safe zones of the cities and outposts, although smaller creatures often manage to slip through. The only truly safe areas are the cities themselves, over which crews of autocannon emplacements hold eternal vigilance. Cities are usually quite ugly, built only with purpose in mind, not aesthetics, although over years, the dull ferrocrete has been overgrown by creeping plants, moss and lichen, making appear less hideous. *There are also many outposts scattered around the planet, usually located on strategic position or near vital installations, like radio towers, observation posts, research facilities or mining sites. An outpost usually consists of a landing pad, command tower, living quarters, garages, storage areas, and an armory, manned usually by two squads of Guardsmen, up to a full platoon, depending on the importance and size. They are guarded by walls and fences, although the security is not that high and thus it is considered unwise to leave the building without a loaded gun. Humans *Speaking of human culture, people here are hard survivalists and industrious workers who have to go through a struggle to get anything, because this planet does not forgive and gives nothing for free. Once you venture out of the gate of your city, everything from now on is a fight for your life, where only vigilance, knowledge, and iron will make you see another sunrise, as even armored plates of a tank won't keep you safe forever from local wildlife. *Skyllians are not indulging themselves in opulent goods and luxuries or pursuing large business careers as people from other planets of the Federation. They are generally modest people, glad for everything life gives them and they like to enjoy and celebrate those aspects as much as they can, as long as they can. Native Beastmen *Native beastmen are forced to wage a war of survival every minute of their (usually not very long) life both against the planet itself and also against other tribes. With this constant war of attrition, where tribesmen die every day, be it due to territorial conquest with other tribes, falling prey to some predator or dying from wounds and illnesses being part of their life, beastmen over time developed culture revolving about reproduction. Simply said, they are trying to outbreed one another. This resulted in females being protected and revered as divine life-givers but also making them spend most of their adult years giving birth to new breeders and warriors over and over. Woman's worth is literally measured in the number of children she had. Despite this insane birthrate, only a quarter of infants live to reach adulthood, and one-tenth of them live past thirty years. The majority of those who are older than thirty are either very fertile females or exceptionally strong warriors. Unhinged promiscuity amongst youths and polygamy amongst the strongest warriors is a common and accepted occurrence. *Native beastmen usually live in tribal villages and settlements, often protected either by natural obstacles or simple palisade. The main source of food is hunting and gathering, sometimes farming if conditions allow for it. Same for fishing. Some tribes also keep and train domesticated reptiles on which they either ride or fly around. Several tribes have access to mineral ores and are able to perform some basic smelting and ironworking. Civilized Beastmen *Beastmen living alongside humans are a unique blend of human ingenuity, utter straightforwardness and rough survivalism of their own kind. The initial cultural shock was significant but with supervision and slow, but thorough education and familiarization, the beastmen were able to understand the human way of living and grasp it to some extent. Some aspects were easy, such as the use of advanced tools or vanity caused by relative abundance of resources and lack of everpresent danger, some were a bit more difficult such as using money, cutlery or wearing clothes other than armor, and some were very hard to overcome, such as the urge to mate with as many partners as possible, whenever possible, but with new generations coming and old passing away, the beastmen were becoming more and more human. Although the feral beasts they once were will never fully disappear. *With their biological side pretty much unchanged, their thinking is usually quite simple (although they are still brighter than Ogryns). They are generally easy to get angry and throw punches around or be very loud, be it caused by anger, cheerful celebration or even very passionate lovemaking. It's not because they are mean, they just don't realize they are being a nuisance for others. Their physical form also remained stronger and more robust, making them ideal to perform hard labor or follow simple, yet physically demanding tasks. *They live more or less as humans do, yet they prefer to stay closer with their relatives, often living in cramped flats or houses. Their general mentality is still more tribal than individualistic, so they rarely seek personal enrichment and rather look at how to improve life for their family or neighborhood. Notable locations *'Hell's Gate' - Capital city and the largest city on the planet. It hosts all governmental institutions necessary, from the parliament building to the Ecclesiarchal chapel. *'White Mountain pass & Outpost' - A mountain pass leading through a large ridge, which creates a barrier between human-controlled territory and wilderness. Feral beastmen frequently led their raiding parties through this pass, so a permanent defensive outpost was built there. *'Caladon Bay Fortress' - Military coastal fortress *'Pale River Tribe village' - Located about three hundred kilometers north from Hell's Gate, it is the largest and most important village of the allied tribe. *'Thunder Hill outpost' - Located on a tall hill, it got its name because it's struck by a lightning at least once a week. *'Maydan' - A coastal city built nearby the Caladon Bay Fortress. The fourth-largest city on the planet. Notable people *'Chief Howi Dawnfather' - Current chief of the Pale River tribe. This tribe had allied with the humans when they first landed and remained that way ever since. *'Milky Marry' - A famous beastwoman adult entertainer. *'Sister Isi' - The first beastwoman who joined the ranks of the Order of the Silver Hand. This act was very controversial and launched a series of heated arguments about genetic and purity requirements of the Adepta Sororitas. Despite flawless service record and popularity amongst the lower sisterhood, Isi was a few years later honorably discharged at her own request due to neverending arguments mentioned before. Beastman community was very upset by the reaction of the cardinals and Isi was the only one who even attempted to join for several decades to come. Nowadays, some beastwomen serve in the Sororitas, but the total amount can be counted on one hand's fingers. *'Cpl. Hönnigen' - Sole survivor of a Valkyrie crash deep in the jungle. After 19 days he staggered out of the jungle, malnourished, wounded and bloodied, but alive. He was found a few hours after he, his squad and the Valkyrie crew were buried with full military honors. Armed Forces Skyllian is home to over 85 regiments of all sizes and types, yet some stand above the rest due to their qualities, equipment or training utilized the best on this particular world. *'Sabertooth Squadron' - The toughest of the toughest. Sabertooth Squadron is a special forces regiment, experts in survival and infiltration without a match in the Federation, as well as sabotage or assassination. One of the final training tests is to track and hunt down a Sabertooth. An extremely dangerous feline-like predator living in the jungle. Many soldiers wear the tooth of first Sabertooth they killed as a necklace. *'Skyllian Air Cavalry' - Airmobile light infantry unit, experts in jungle warfare, reconnaissance and hit & run operations. Due to dense jungles, most regiments on Skyllian are airmobile, utilizing both transport and combat aerial vehicles, most commonly designs based on the Valkyrie Assault Carrier and its derivates. They usually operate from so-called Firebases, fortified bases or camps usually placed on a top of a plateau or a hill near or within the enemy territory. Firebases usually host at least a single field artillery company, and a garrison force. *'Beastmen Auxiliary Forces' - The beastmen are fierce warriors well accustomed to the harsh jungle environment due to their physiology and tribal origin. They are expert survivalists, though infantrymen, skilled mount riders and ferocious heavy shock troops. Units are considered auxiliary as they are very rarely deployed alone, without the support of other, usually fully human units. Quick Navigation Category:Europan Planetary Federation Category:Death Worlds Category:Imperial Planets Category:Imperium Category:Jungle Worlds Category:Planets Category:Capt.Hawkins